1,000-bed hospital a health shot for Jeddah

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A 1,000-bed maternity and children’s hospital will be established in Jeddah soon, while the King Faisal Medical Tower in Makkah will be opened ahead of the upcoming Haj season, said Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who highlighted his ministry’s efforts to expand quality health care services.

Speaking with reporters following a strategic meeting in Jeddah, he said a new 500-bed hospital would be set up in Makkah and another hospital of the same size in north Jeddah.

"About 95 percent of work on the King Faisal Tower has been completed," he said.

Al-Rabeeah stressed the ministry’s plan to enhance the performance of primary health care centers across the country and integrate health centers to general hospitals to render quality health care to citizens. "We have opened 79 new hospitals in various regions during the last four years," he said.

He said that the new maternity and children’s hospital would be part of the King Abdullah Medical Center in Jeddah. "Contracts have been awarded to build a new hospital in Sharaie in Makkah to serve citizens," the minister said.